₪ ₪ ₪ ₪ ₪ ₪ ₪ ₪ ₪ ₪ ₪

Chapter Four

₪ ₪ ₪ ₪ ₪ ₪ ₪ ₪ ₪ ₪ ₪

Integra stared down at the child that stood in front of her, his head was bowed and hands were fisted at his side. In her anger, she didn't realize that something wasn't right or that something was out of place. Yet, the child seemed so much smaller than earlier and he was shaking slightly. Sweat had broken out across his brow as he labored for breath, his sharp short gasps barely heard in large stone room. She didn't notice the child's inability to stay standing as he swayed slightly. She didn't notice because even while her eyes were looking in his direction she wasn't looking for something to be wrong with him. She couldn't perceive anything wrong because the whole time that she stood ranting and raving, yelling out profanities that would have made a sailor blush, she was deep in thought, thinking over the past few months and years, adding up the small and barely seen changes in her servant.

It was there, but hardly noticeable. He wasn't as stressed as he once was, he still loved to annoy the hell out of her, but he also gave her his advice even if he didn't come right out and say what he thought, giving his input with his cold, sarcastic, and crude sense of humor. Now, he also would follow her orders a bit more to the letter without finding a way to pick his way around her words so he could have some fun. In addition, she noticed, as she went over her more recent memories, that he would come back from his missions quicker than normal, getting his job done in the quickest way possible, and while still seeming to play with his poor victims, he avoided coming back covered in blood or gore.

When the Valentine Brothers attacked the manor, he made sure to stay in the dungeons and destroy the enemy there, before finally heading back up to the upper levels killing any ghouls that were heading downward. Could it be possible that Alucard had not been waiting for the battle and his enemy, but actually staying close to the child to protect him? And, if that was the case, then was the child only a pet toy for her Vampiric servant or was he something more, and why would be keep such a secret from her? Unless….unless he knew that she wouldn't approve and that she'd send the child back where he came from. That or she'd send him to an orphanage. Vivid blue, yet unfocused eyes narrowed unconsciously down at the child, another stronger wave of anger washing over him, caused the already unsteady and weak youngster to crumble to the hard and unforgiving stone floor. Integra, however, was so deep in thought and focused inward that she didn't see or hear the sickening sound of a small body hitting stone, nor the sound of choking as the child gasped for air.

It was the sound of a low and threatening growl that began to draw her from her thoughts. But it wasn't until first the cold wind, whipping around the room tugging at her clothes and hair, and then the tentacles of dark black shadow appeared that she was completely brought back to the world of reality. The shady tentacles whipped around the room knocking over candle stands, over turning a chair or two, and the small table holding the bottle of wine. The rich scent of the wine filled the room as the black glass bottle hit the floor with a loud clash, the glass shattering into a thousand tiny pieces. A puddle of wine quickly covered a large area of the floor, swiftly soaking into both her shoes and the child's clothes, staining his cream-colored dress shirt.

Integra's eyes widened as she realized for the first time the child was on the floor, but, as she knelt down to look him over, the growl came back, this time louder and more prescient. Blue eyes widened further as they turned to look at where the dark tentacles were coming from. There, wrapped in shadow, stood her Vampiric servant, only he didn't look anything like she had ever seen him before. It appeared as if he had swam in a pit of blood, as no patch of revealed skin was free of blood or gore, as he stood red eyes glaring at her through orange glasses, his lips pulled back in a slight snarl. His large black pistol, The Jackal, was held tightly in his grip at his side, dark blood slowly dripping from its barrel falling to join the puddle of blood surrounding his feet. His sinister, blood colored eyes took in the scene in front of him, glancing from her to the child, taking in the child's unconscious state then glancing back at her, his lips pulling back further into the snarl, revealing enlarged fangs. This wasn't the man she knew. No this was the monster that had been locked up tightly, deep in the dungeons all those years ago to preserve the existence of mankind.

His eyes locked with her own blue ones as he slowly lifted one foot, lifting the attached leg, and then taking one-step. One-step further into the room. One-step closer to the child. One-step closer… to her. She didn't know why but for the first time in many years, she felt fear toward the man…no, monster...in front of her. He took another step closer. She felt a cold shiver race up her spine and goose bumps break out on her arms as she continued to keep eye contact with him. Red eyes glowed brightly from behind orange lenses as he watched her, almost as if studying her reaction to his power as he continued his way into the room.

He paused at the end of the large dinning table, finally breaking eye contact with her and glancing down at himself and his weapon. He noticed first the blood and gore that covered his pistol, then that on and in his coat which had soaked through his old English suit. He glanced behind him, noting the puddles of blood along with the bits and unnamable pieces of flesh that had fallen to the floor, but there was not much he could do about that bit. He set his pistol on the table, the large metal weapon landing with a slight thud, before then turning back to the child on the floor, who was several feet from him, and beginning to make his way to him. With each step he took he concentrated on dispelling the blood and gore from his body, replacing the ruined clothes with something more…normal for him to wear while in the confines of his personal chambers. Dark black boots, black slacks, and a dark blue dress shirt materialized, while his normally short shaggy hair came in a few inches longer than usual, the edges just brushing his shoulders as he slowly made his way to the child. His child. His pet. His Harry.

Heavy boots sent echoes throughout the room as the purposeful steps fell onto the stone floor. Finally, he spoke for the first time since he had arrived into the room. "What happened, Integra?" It was a simple question asked in the calmest of voices but it could have meant several things. What happened could imply, 'how had the enemy got in to the manor?' 'How had she escaped?' It could even ask, 'how had she met the child?' Or, he could have been asking how and why the child lay crumbled on the floor soaked in wine unconscious.

Integra turned her eyes away from her servant and down to the child. How could she look at him and meet him in the eye when she had no answer to give him? She didn't know the answer to any of those questions and that fact, in and of itself, scared her more than anything else had. This was a first for her she wasn't often without an answer. In the past she had been the one else everyone went to when they couldn't do something themselves. She was the Leader of the Hellsing Organization and she hadn't even known that one of her soldiers had betrayed her. Which one of her officers had sold them out? No one was missing so it was obvious that whoever it was, they were good, because they had, as of right now, managed to get caught. Her voice cracked when she spoke, revealing the confused and slightly defeated emotions she tried to hide under her mask as she stared at the child. 'Harry,' she reminded herself, 'his name was Harry.'

"I…I…don't…know." She sighed forcing back the emotions, the sting behind her eyes, and the burning in her nose "I just…I don't know." She closed her eyes refusing to look at either child or her servant. It was in that moment that she felt years older, much like her father must have right before he died. Knowing that she had made mistakes, but could not fix them in any way she knew how.

Her unusually quiet servant paused within arms' reach of both her and the child; she could clearly make out his black boots out of the corner of her eye. He had changed so much, she realized faintly, had it been only a few years earlier that he'd have laughed and poked fun at her for that comment? She had expected him to make some comment about her being the 'Great Integral Hellsing', the 'Master of the Monster Alucard' and how could she 'not have an answer?' Normally, he would have poked fun at her for it without batting an eyelash, this was just so unlike him. She heard him sigh softly, something else that he usually didn't do…breathe. "I see." His voice had an unusually calm and hypnotic sound to it as he spoke, tones of pure silk sweeping around the room and settling around her, calming her frayed nerves.

He quickly made his way around her to the child, his large boots splashing through the puddle of wine, sending small waves to spread the edges further outward, increasing the size of the already large mess. He swept the child up and into his arms with, what appeared to be, practiced ease. 'Just how long has he had the boy?' she wondered, as she watched him slowly walk to his large mechanical coffin. He paused at the edge of the bed and balanced the child in one arm as he began to undo the buttons holding the ruined shirt closed. Quickly, the shirt opened to reveal a small, barely muscled, pale chest. One arm was pulled free, and then the other before the soiled shirt was thrown over his shoulder, with little to no regard to where it landed. He gave the small black sneakers a slightly annoyed look, concentrated his magic on said items, and soon the shoes started to evaporate, melting off the child's feet in a dark mist.

Alucard glanced back at the woman whom was his Master out of the corner of his eye as he quickly but gently undressed his pet, intent on removing the ruined and cold clothing, it would not be good for his pet if he should become ill. He set to work removing the black slacks his pet had worn that day before they, too, were thrown over his shoulder with little care to where they fell. He pushed down it pity for the child, his Harry was going to have quite a mess to clean up when he woke. That, topped with his punishment for disobeying a direct order by not only showing himself to his master, but bringing her to his quarters, meant he was going to be sore by the time he was able to head to bed. His pet had brought this upon himself through, so he forced himself to not feel so bad.

Alucard called over his shoulder as he did this, "Master Integra, three cupboards to your left you'll see two large drawers: inside the top one will be several large button-down shirts and soft cotton flannel pants. I require one of each; however, my arms are currently tied. If you would...?" He left the sentence unfinished as he saw her slowly nod and then move to do as he asked.

Alucard was slightly surprised that she hadn't objected yet to his treatment of her or the child. She may have been his master, but Harry was his pet, and while she only seemed to be shaken up about something, Harry was clearly the worse off and required his immediate attention. He would see to his pet's comfort and health first, then when he was sure that Harry was both mentally and physically sound and only then would he see to both his pet's punishment and later, his Master's needs. Integra appeared to his left, a bundle of light blue and green in her hands, as she looked down at the near-naked child sleeping now soundly on the dark blue comforter. She seemed deep in thought about something as she watched Alucard take the clothes from her and begin to dress the child. He was in the process of pulling the child's left arm into the light green dress shirt, as he had already pulled the blue flannels on the boy, when she spoke.

"Should you really be undressing and dressing him like that? Wouldn't it give someone the wrong idea? I mean you're an adult…a much... older adult and he's but a…a child." Ah, there was the Master he knew: always expecting the worst of him.

Alucard chuckled slightly as he paused in his work and turned to look at the woman at his side. "It is my duty to care for him. He was placed under my care and I always care for what is mine. If you would recall, Master Integra, I did much the same for you when you were younger." He paused, smirking slightly when she looked up both shocked and confused. "Of course, it never went as far as dressing and undressing you, but taking care of you, protecting you and your home. Being there when you needed someone to converse with, when things became too much, or you needed to take some stress out on something or someone. You do have quite the temper, Master." He chuckled at the last part as he went back to his work of dressing his Harry.

Integra's eyes widened then narrowed lightly in anger, a frown crossing her face as she heard his last words, "I DO NOT HAVE…." She cut herself off as she quickly shutting her mouth with a snap in shock as she just stared at him. He was staring at her with an amused grin on his face, one eyebrow raised almost in a 'You were saying' sort of way. She huffed and crossed her arms turning her head away sticking her nose up in the air in a rare fit of childishness. The child on the bed whimpered slightly in his sleep, his eyelids tightening up and his little nose scrunching up in a look that almost seemed as if he was in pain, his reaction drew both adults attention.

"So what's his story?" Integra asked, nodding towards the boy, speaking in a slightly calmer manner than before, noting that the child had calmed down again and was resting peacefully once more.

Alucard seemed to notice this, too, as he made a mental note to check over the list of possible side effects from his pet's earlier operation/experiment, he wasn't sure but, he didn't think that empathy was one of the creature traits he could inherit, so if it wasn't, then was it a wizard trait. Either way he would need to be trained to build up mental shields to fend off, the attacks of other people's emotions. Quickly, he finished his task of dressing his pet, taking note that the little sub snuggled down into the covers nuzzling his personal pillow. He gave his pet a small, almost-smirking smile as he noticed the old yellow-paged, Latin year-three workbook and notebook laid out across the bed. Slowly, as to not disturb the sleeping youth, he gathered both along with the slightly chewed pencil before turning back to Integra.

"His story?" He spoke softly, his voice easily heard throughout the room, yet still soft enough to not wake his sleeping pet.

He turned and set the lesson book and notepad on the bedside table before turning again to the child, this time pulling the covers out from under him and covering him up with them. Harry gave a soft sigh in his sleep as he curled his fingers into the blankets around him. "Thank you, Master," he muttered softly as he fell into a deeper, more comfortable sleep.

Alucard stood at the child's bedside, silently gathering his thoughts, as he unconsciously reached out and slowly began to card his hand through the child's dark hair. A small rumbling purr reached the ears of the two adults at his bedside, bringing a shocked look to one's face and an amused smirk to the other's. Alucard's smirk grew slightly when he saw his Master's confused and shocked look when she heard the sound. That sound was the were-panther side of his little pet showing. "His story is one that is very long; one that takes much time to think over. I do not have the time to tell you at the moment, there are vermin in the manor that need to be dealt with. I have kept a folder on his development since he came into my care, including the records that I received of him from when I acquired him." He paused as he looked her over, watching her reaction to his words.

He could easily read her emotions, they showed not on her face, but in her eyes and the way she held her body. She was confused, angry, annoyed, and slightly afraid, of what, he was not sure but he would find out when he returned from his hunt. Calling his shadows to him, he reached into them and retrieved a large, thick folder that he had let no one view other than himself, and the occasional peak that his Harry got when he was updating the files. He held the thick pale yellow folder out to the woman he had known for over a decade, pausing before he fully released it into her grasp. "I'm giving you this and leaving Harry in your care with the thought in mind that you won't do anything rash before I return. You likely will not think well of me after reading this, but keep in mind that I would never knowingly hurt you, Harry, or anyone under my care." He finally released the folder into her care and turned to the table to retrieve his favored weapon.

A quick concentration of his magic removed the remaining blood and gore from the weapon as he placed it within its holster, somewhere under and within the large black trench coat that he had materialized over his current outfit. He turned from the woman and slowly walked towards the shadows, allowing them to engulf his form and begin to transport him to the battle that was waiting within the manor of his Master.

₪ ₪ ₪ ₪ ₪ ₪ ₪ ₪ ₪ ₪ ₪

Integra sat quietly at the large dinning table; several different papers, documents, pictures, schematics, and other such research papers lay in front of her scattered around the large surface of the table. She slowly sat back as she finished reading through 'Harry's' training, 'adoption' by his new Master, 'her servant', and the first year and a half of his life living here in her manor. It was true she didn't approve of any of this, she didn't believe in a human taking on another human being as a…..pet, but honestly was what he was doing any worse than what she did? Between Walter and Alucard, she honestly wasn't doing anything different. Walter cared and waited on her like 'Harry' did his Master. Walter watched over the other servants in her manor while he himself did the more bothersome chores required of his position, again 'Harry' did the same keeping his Master's chambers clean and waiting on him, making sure he didn't over exert himself.

Alucard hunted the undead and the monsters that she sent him after. It was true that she didn't force him to, seeing as no one could make him do anything he didn't want to, but he did follow her orders and mostly did as she asked. Harry seemed to do the same so did that make her any better than her servant in keeping a pet? Even if it was a human one, he did seem to be calmer than before and he did behave better if only slightly.

Integra sighed softly, running a hand through her long blond locks, before turning slightly to look at the child sleeping quietly in the bed behind her. His dark, black hair fell partially over his face as he had turned over on his side in his sleep, so he was now facing her. One small hand tucked under his chin and the other holding the pillow, he was sleeping on close to his chest, obviously breathing in his Master's calming scent. A look of what only could be described as childish innocence settled on his face. Integra smiled slightly, through she'd deny it later if asked, at the look and sighed again as she made her decision one she knew would later cause many changes.

"Welcome to Hellsing Manor young Harry."

Harry's only response was to give a small smile in his sleep and clutch the pillow he was holding tighter to him.

₪ ₪ ₪ ₪ ₪ ₪ ₪ ₪ ₪ ₪ ₪

End of chapter

₪ ₪ ₪ ₪ ₪ ₪ ₪ ₪ ₪ ₪ ₪

This chapter wasn't as long as hoped but I'm at a point where I need to stop and think of what and how I want to word what comes next. Shouldn't take long I've pretty much got my thoughts together just got to figure out how to start the next chapter. Review if you can.

Kit